The future of close air support in Afghanistan officially begins in February, as the first Afghan Air Force pilots train under U.S. Air Force pilots on their new aircraft in Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, which reactivated Jan. 15, will train 30 Afghan pilots over the next five years on the A-29 Super Tucano light air support plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This mission is about the future of air power in Afghanistan,” said Col. John Nichols, commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Moody. “More than 12 years of blood, sweat and tears were spent getting us to this day.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The base, which is also home to the U.S. Air Force’s main close air support platform \u2014 the A-10 \u2014 now has three A-29s. The first arrived in September, with a total of 20 of the aircraft expected to be involved with the training, Moody spokeswoman 2nd Lt. Brianca Williams said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A team of 17 U.S. Air Force instructor pilots will train 30 Afghan pilots, along with 90 Afghan maintainers, through 2018. The trainees will be grouped into five classes, each for both rated and maintenance personnel, Williams said. The trainees will begin arriving in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first class will include 10 Afghan students, eight of whom already have earned their wings through U.S. pilot training. The U.S. Air Force also trains Afghan pilots at bases in Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moody was selected for A-29 training last summer because of its available airfield and airspace, making it the lowest-cost option, Timothy Bridges, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, said at the time. Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, were also considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Air Force in 2012 selected the A-29, a propeller-driven aircraft already in use by several other countries, with the announcement of a $427 million contract for Sierra Nevada Corp. and Brazil’s Embraer, which beat out Beechcraft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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